BL writers non-BL work

[grailkeeper]

This might be one the mods disapprove of, if so please lock it.  I was wondering what people think of BL writers non BL work.

 

I love Black Library, but for the most part I love it because of the setting rather than the strength of individual writers. There are some great writers and some awful ones, but I'll happily read an average book just because its 40k. I'd normally leave an average non-40k book if it isnt interesting me.

 

Dan Abnett has written a couple of non-bl books. (Triumpff was great and embedded was ok). James Swallow has made the NY times best seller list, and I would have considered him one of BL's poorer writers. Guy Hayley has self published. ADB has talked about writing something other than Genre fiction and I'd read the phonebook if he wrote it. Kim Newman got his start with the proto-bl as Jack Yeovil (including a book about Elvis in the Swamps, still waiting on BL to republish that one).

 

Have you guys read any BL writers non-BL work? Is it worth reading? Do they improve out of the shackles of warhammer and its editors, or are they weakened by not having a setting you are already familiar with?

[Knockagh]

Only Dan Abnetts Judge Dredd in 2000AD comics, I like pretty much all the Judge Dredd stuff and Dans is very good. Novel wise, no I’m afraid I haven’t, it’s something I keep meaning to do but strangely enough given my addiction to all things BL I have very little reading time and can only squeeze in a few comics each month for light relief!

I have to say this is a brilliant line

‘There are some great writers and some awful ones, but I'll happily read an average book just because its 40k.’

[bluntblade]

John French has written or is writing something as a new part of the Cthulu Mythos, isn't he?

[Brother Tyler]

Yup, this isn't related to the WH40K game setting, so it isn't allowed. I recommend going over to Goodreads for reviews of BL authors' non-BL works.